God's Playground
by warmachinerox
Summary: THE STORY HAS CHANGED BUT (MOST) CHARACTERS REMAIN THE SAME In the wake of the Jurassic World incident and InGen's subsequent deconstruction, the CIA investigates suspicious activity in the vicinity of Isla Sorna.
1. Author's Note

It has been a very long time since I did any work on this story and I sorta forgot where I intended it to go. Since I was only two chapters into it in the first place, I decided to just start from scratch. The title is the same and any characters I introduced originally will still find their way in but the plot is already different. I decided to have the story take place after Jurassic World and the plot is/will be heavily inspired from the books while remaining in the movie universe. Do Enjoy.


	2. Chapter 1

The 10 am morning sun was glaring brightly through the shaded office where Chase had just finished his third Mountain Dew. He was still struggling to stay awake despite the caffeine in his system but he was at least grateful that he did not have any prior commitments for the day. His eyes were barely open and he could feel himself slipping away into a short snooze until he was jerked back to attention by a knock on his door. His friend and long time work partner, Violet, poked her head through the door to get his attention and let out a deep sigh after seeing all the empty soda cans and bottles on his desk and floor,

"You're going to kill yourself if you keep drinking that, you know," She said.

"Better to die at the hands of overindulgence than at the hands of whatever terrorist or international criminal they have us hunting down."

"Whatever you believe," Violet noted, "Price has a mission briefing for us, FYI, be downstairs in five."

"We're not supposed to have any jobs planned for about a month!" Chase yelled, "What Gives?"

"Chase, when have any of our missions ever been planned out ahead of time? When we're needed, they call. That how it's worked for the last five years. We'll be waiting for you."

Violet closed the door and Chase leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before getting up to hear the new mission briefing.

He and Violet worked for a rather secretive organization in the government that dealt with dispatching extremely dangerous people with as little manpower and attention as possible. As their boss, Matthias Price pitched it to them when they were selected for the job out of the military, they are the ones called 'when the United States government wants to find someone without drawing attention or sending in the big guns'.

Chase finally got himself to hobble his way down the stairs and receive the briefing for their next mission.

"I see you finally made it, Chase, please have a seat," Price said.

"If I sit down then I'll fall asleep," Chase fired back, "Just get on with it."

"As you wish…" Price glared at him with his usual annoyed stare that he had a knack for always directing at him, "This mission is the result of a request for assistance made to the U.S. by the Costa Rican government. Some concern has risen about a suspicious increase in air and sea traffic in the region in and surrounding the Muertes Archipelago. If that name doesn't ring a bell to you, its largest island is Isla Sorna."

"InGen's Site B?" Violet questioned, "I know that area is off limits to sea and air traffic but why is that _our_ problem?"

"Apparently customs and harbor personnel were growing suspicious of some of the equipment being loaded onto ships and planes after tracking them to the island," Price explained. "The vehicles weren't responding to radio transmissions so the government sent out their own craft for investigation. Both boats that were sent capsized during storm surges and two aircraft disappeared off the radar. A broken up radio transmission from the second plane suggests they were shot down over the island."

"Maybe InGen is trying to set up some sort of updated research and observation facility." Chase suggested.

"InGen doesn't exist anymore, Chase," Violet informed him, "The Masrani Corporation bought them out after they went bankrupt in the 90s, and after the incident in Jurassic World two years ago there is no InGen."

"So who's going to that island?"

"We don't know. Passports and IDs of those who were known to be on the ships heading for that island turned out to be completely fictionalized. Who they are and why they are there is exactly what the Costa Rican government wants us to go there and find out." Price finished.

"Absolutely not," Chase refuted, "They can find their own crew of people with a death wish because I ain't going to that place."

"Since when are you scared of potential danger, Chase?" Violet questioned, "We go into active warzones constantly and our job guarantees that we'll be shot at."

"I'll tell you why…because my aunt was in San Diego when there was a dinosaur running around and she still has PTSD from that shit," Chase explained, "I am totally fine going into warzones; hell, I'll even go on an African safari where everything can kill you, but I am not really interested in being chased by a four ton predator with a mouth bigger than a minivan. And I'm not scared, I just don't want to be eaten."

"Concerns have been raised about the possibility of the people on the island bringing the animals back to the mainland," Price continued, "That is precisely what led to the San Diego incident in the first place. You guys have the skill to go in there undetected and find out what is really going on so we can make sure that doesn't happen again."

"Here's an idea for you, Boss, why don't we send in a bomber and have that island blown to kingdom come like it was supposed to be 25 years ago?" Chase suggested.

"Because it is an internationally recognized biological refuge and it can't be touched," Violet reminded him.

"If you send us there then there better be more than two of us going."

"I will remind you, Chase, that this particular assignment is not sanctioned by the U.S. government; it's not like we can just send a battalion of troops with you."

"Fine," Chase let out an annoyed sigh, "You want us to go to that island then so be it; but only if you can track down at least two people who have seen those animals before and are willing to go back there."

"I guess I can make a few calls…see who I can locate," Price gave in, "I'll get you some contact information, maybe a few addresses, but I'm making it your job to convince them to go."


	3. Chapter 2

Chase kept the pilot of the small jet waiting when he leaned up casually against the doorframe after seeing Violet running up with a sheet of paper and a large envelope in her hand.

"Here!" she shouted over the whining of the jet engines, holding the paper up to him, "Price managed to track down one last contact."

"Ian Malcom," Chase read aloud, "That name sounds familiar."

"He was on Isla Nublar in '93 and was present for the San Diego incident," Violet said, "You probably won't convince him to go back but maybe he can point you to someone more willing."

"You're not coming?"

"I have my own contact to meet with. I'll see you back here tomorrow."

Chase waved to Violet as she walked off and proceeded to close cabin door so the pilot could continue on with the scheduled flight. He settled down in one of the seats and took another glance at the newest contact he had added to his list of people to see. He bent the small metal tack that held the envelope closed to find a book with a sticky note on the cover in Violet's handwriting; _It wouldn't hurt you to read once in a while_. He peeled the adhesive paper off the book to see the title his partner suggested he read: _God Creates Dinosaurs, by Ian Malcom_.

Violet parked her car on the side of the road next to a humble looking house to speak with the contact she had found about potentially returning to the island to guide the mission. Path to the front door was decorated with various rocks and minerals, most of which appeared to have fossilized remains in them, the house clearly belonged to a paleontologist. She reached out and rang the doorbell and put on her best smile in hopes of presenting a good first impression when the owner came to the door.

The man who answered the door looked slightly different than she had imagined. He looked older than what she saw in some of his pictures and his hair was greying, but he was still somewhat recognizable by the tan hat he wore, "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Dr. Alan Grant?" She hesitated, suddenly hoping she had the right person. The man nodded back in confirmation. "My name is Violet Beluca, I work with the CIA; I was wondering if I could have a word."

"I suppose," Grant mumbled, "Come on in." He ushered her inside and invited her to take a seat in the living room where she noticed countless shelves of books and geologic specimens lining the walls. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No need, Dr. Grant, I only mean for this to be a quick meeting," Violet said.

"Alright then, what can I do for you?"

"As I mentioned before, I work for the CIA," Violet began, "More specifically, a small spec ops force that specializes in very dangerous missions in very dangerous locations, and we have a particular need for your expertise."

"I'm not completely sure what use my expertise could be to you," Grant said, "I'm retired now anyway; but I would be happy to recommend some highly experienced people…"

Violet accepted his statement as a formality for explaining his disinterest in helping, but she could tell by the expression he gave that he could see where she was about to take the conversation, "Actually, Dr. Grant, our mission requires what you might call your more up close and personal experiences in your field."

"Yeah," Grant laughed, "I've heard this pitch before. I've been tricked on to those islands twice now and no amount of money or government conscription is going to get me there again."

"I understand that asking you to accompany our mission is a lost cause, but if you could still hear me out…"

"What more is there to hear?" Grant asked, "Jurassic World was the result of InGen's failure to learn from their mistakes; I see no reason to concern yourself with its remains or contents."

"Actually, the Costa Rican government has been tracking a large increase in shipping activity to Isla Sorna. They've asked us to carry out a surveillance op to check it out. You wouldn't happen to have any insight on this activity, would you?" Violet tried her very best not to make it sound as if she was suspecting Grant of any involvement, but given his association with John Hammond and how much Hammond seemed to trust him, it was a valid question in her mind.

"There is nothing on Site B but abandoned mad science labs and mutated experiments," Grant asserted, "If you really think something is going on then I suggest talking to Simon Masrani. I hear he is in charge of InGen these days."

"Masrani is dead," Violet informed him, "I guess you missed that memo."

"Well…he got what was coming to him."

"Is there anything you can tell us about the island that might help us out on our assignment?"

"Yeah, actually. Stay home and you might live a long healthy life."

Violet accepted Grant's remarks and stood up. She was not going to press the issue any further since it was clear she would not get any closer to an agreement to come along or information about the island, "Believe me, Dr. Grant, if I could stay home, I would very much enjoy it. As it happens, this assignment is my job and I must partake in it. I appreciate your concern but it seems we are done here." Violet reached out for the doorknob to leave the house when she was interrupted by Grant for one final message.

"Before you go…" he started, he pulled out a pen and jotted some writing down on a small piece of scrap paper, "Tay Masterson was a grad student of mine before I retired. She is a specialist in the study of social behavior of animals in paleobiological systems. She did her dissertation on the behavior of the animals in Jurassic World. She might be willing to help you out." Grant handed Violet the paper with his student's contact information and they exchanged a final handshake before she walked out the door.

* * *

"You know, when your boss called me, I actually thought it was a joke," Malcom laughed in Chase's face, "Of course I am absolutely not interested."

"Is there anything you can tell us to help us out at least?" Chase asked.

"I think I have said everything I need to say," Malcolm smirked, "I told Hammond long before he built that zoo that it was going to collapse in on itself, and you know, I was right. I told his deranged nephew that taking dinosaurs off that island would be the stupidest idea anyone ever came up with, and guess what… a giant _T. rex_ went on a rampage through the streets of San Diego." It almost began to seem as if the only enjoyment he got in his life was through a series of 'I told you so' statements. "I even told Henry Wu, a man who has done more with his knowledge than I could ever hope to achieve, that his little science experiments were too dangerous to control; yet even he learned that for himself, he and his fellow InGen scientists proceeded to fabricate an entirely new animal that has never existed before, and expected to be containable if shit went wrong. And if you haven't heard, Shit went very wrong…again."

"I understand your point of view and your concern, Dr. Malcolm," Chase acknowledged, "But I am not quite sure I understand how it relates to our current situation. We have no intention of interacting with the animals on that island and our only concern is with gathering intel."

"My concern has nothing to do with your intended activities on that island, it has to do with predicting the inevitable, which ironically you are not doing. You want to jump onto an island full of aggressive creatures that have killed people, in search of evidence of human activity that is not even confirmed."

"Unfortunately, I feel your concern and believe me, I don't want to be on that island any more than you do, but it is my job to do so. If you are so intent on telling me how I should go about that job, I would love to hear it." It was getting difficult for Chase to contain his own stubbornness and irritation with Malcolm. All he wanted was to get someone who had been on the island before to help guide the surveillance mission but it seemed like Ian was more intent on walking all over him with his ego than actually trying to give sound advice.

"Let natural selection take its course," Malcolm suggested.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Assuming that people are actually on that island, the probability of any of them surviving for any length of time is very low. Additionally, that probability of survival drastically decrease the longer anyone is there; in large numbers, the survival of any one individual is much more likely than with smaller groups. Given that people will inevitably die, it can be assumed that eventually no one would be left."

"Dr. Malcolm, I think you are forgetting the part where are job is to find out what they are doing on the island in the first place, not just to let them die."

"No, I understand that just fine," Malcolm fired back, "It is you that is failing to understand my simple explanations about how so many people have failed to heed my warnings in the past. No one who would be on that island is there to do anything good and if they die there because of it then they had what was coming to them. I will tell you one final time: I am not interested in your suicidal adventure and I have no intention of being there when you decide to ignore my advice. Now good day to you." His face was only inches from Chase by the time he had finished his rant and he could see the sweat running down his face.

"Well good day to you and goodbye," Chase said, "It was good to talk with you, Sir," there was an obvious sarcasm in his voice that he didn't bother hiding since it seemed to pair well with Dr. Malcolm's own attitude. He walked out of the house and back out to his rental car where he took out his phone to find out if Violet had stumbled across any luck with her contacts.

He selected his partner's number from his contacts and put the phone to his ear as he started the car. Despite constant warnings he had received over the years about talking on the phone and driving, he simply refused to care and headed back into the busier city streets.

"What's up, Chase?" he heard violet answer, "How did it go with Malcolm?"

"Is that a joke?" Chase laughed, "Now I know why nobody likes the guy. I've met people big egos but Malcolm suffers from a whole different level of narcissism."

"Well then, I bet you and him got along real well," Violet joked.

"Funny. What about you? Any luck?"

"Well…Roland Tembo seems to be a hard man to reach and I'm not flying out to Africa to talk to him. Nick Van Owen wouldn't even give me the time of day. Grant was a no-go which I assumed before I even spoke to him but he did give me some contact information to a former student of his who actually worked at Jurassic World for a while; I'm going to go see her now. Did you talk to anyone else yet?"

"I did talk to Billy Brennan over the phone on my way down here," Chase explained, "He did not seem too enthusiastic about the request but he was will to go as an absolute last resort. I am on my way to talk to this Owen Grady character who was supposedly the raptor expert on Isla Nublar before the whole Jurassic World thing went down."

"Well good luck," Violet said, "I am almost to my destination out here. I'll see you back in the office tonight. Hopefully one of us will have a little luck."

"Yeah," Chase said in closing, "Bye."

He set the phone down in the cup holder and began is trip to go speak with Owen Grady about the adventure ahead of him. He did not need someone as conceited as Ian Malcom to tell him that their mission was suicidal. He knew that from the moment he was briefed on it; that was the very reason he was out talking to people like him in the first place. For someone as intent to trust the process of natural selection as Malcom, he clearly forgot to realize that he was once part of that process and survived both times. Given open public knowledge about the two islands, it seemed impossible that whoever was on Site B would not have the skills and instinct to survive there as well.


	4. Chapter 3

Violet arrived back in Washington DC and found herself at the National Zoo where she was informed that she could find Dr. Grant's grad student who had been studying the social behavior of the big cats ever since her departure from her position on Isla Nublar. She stood in front of the zookeepers' gate for the Bengal Tiger enclosure marked 'authorized personnel only' and took note of the stealthily dressed brunette that was kneeling in the corner with a clipboard and video camera. Being very eager to speak with the woman and return to her office in a timely manner to begin the mission that they would inevitably be stuck with, Violet pushed her way through the gate, that she noticed was unlocked, and stepped through the mud and bushes to the opposite corner where the young woman was working, being very careful to always keep her own attention on the tigers on the other side of the enclosure.

"Tay Masterson," Violet interrupted, getting the attention of worker so they could talk.

"Hey," she shouted back, "What part of 'authorized personnel only' did you miss? These animals can kill you, you know."

"They're being fed regularly, and their used to people in their enclosure; I don't feel myself to be in any real danger at the moment."

"Is that why you're paying more attention to them than me?" Tay speculated. She was clearly more observant that Violet would have guessed, "Who are you anyway?"

"My name is Violet Beluca, I work with the CIA…Can we talk?"

"It seems to me we already are," Tay replied, gathering her things and trotting rather briskly to the enclosure entrance. She had an eerily familiar sense of humor and sarcasm that she knew all too well in Chase.

"I mean on more official terms,"

"If that's what you want, but not until you get your ass out of this enclosure…" She said, not even looking at Violet the tigers that seemed to be gaining a larger interest in them.

"Excuse me!?" Violet announced, rather disgusted at this girl's blunt lack of respect, "I hardly believe you have the authority to order me arou—"

"Listen, Miss CIA, I don't really care what kind of authority you hold," Tay swung her whole body around to stare Violet dead in the eyes, "Right now, as long as you are in that cage, you are on my territory and you will listen to _me_. If you want to have an official talk about whatever it is that brought you here, fine, we will have it after you exit the enclosure."

Violet made no effort to combat the zookeeper's claim and silently followed her out of the enclosure and to a nearby building that, from the appearance of all the tools, hay and coolers full of meat, was probably a supply shed for the nearby enclosures. They continued through a door to a part of the building that was much cleaner and more in tune with an administrative office where Tay unloaded her camera bag and clip board next to a computer.

"You seem a little out of your element here," Tay acknowledged. She was noticeably calmer than she was less than five minutes ago, "What exactly does the CIA want with me?"

"My partner and I are a small team that deals with high priority, covert ops that are not necessarily sanctioned by the government," Violet explained, a she did to everyone she ever needed to explain her career to, "Recently we have been asked to investigate some unusual activity on Isla Sorna and we were hoping to employ the help of someone who is familiar with the…ecosystem…on the island to help guide us through."

"I appreciate the thought, but Jurassic World was a glorified zoo," Tay said, "I hardly call it an ecosystem. And I've never been to Isla Sorna, even if I understood how all those animals interact with each other and the environment I wouldn't be much use as a guide."

"Please?" Violet asked. She didn't want to sound like she was begging, but given the luck that she and Chase were having in finding someone who would help them, she was beginning to get a little desperate.

"Is there worthwhile compensation?" Tay asked, "I hate to sound materialistic and all, but people have been known to die on that island; if I were to agree to your little adventure I wouldn't mind some hazard pay at the very least."

"Well…" Violet thought for a second, "I'm sure we can come to an agreement about some compensatory arrangements."

"What exactly is the CIA interested in on that island anyway?"

"There have been a lot of air and sea vessels travelling to that island over the last few months and according to the Costa Rican government they have been carrying some suspicious equipment there. There is speculation that whoever is on that island is trying to revive former InGen projects. Mostly, I think the concern is that we might have a repeat of the San Diego incident in the near future."

"No one is supposed to be on that island," Tay said, "It's an off limits wildlife preserve."

"I'm aware."

Tay took a subtle gaze at the old Jurassic World worker badge she still kept attached to her camera bag and then looked down at her feet as if she was actually contemplating going on the trip. "What are you intending to do on that island?"

"Only surveillance," Violet said, "If we find anyone there or evidence of suspicious activity we will deal with it, otherwise we have no intent to interact with the animals present and we have no desire to disturb ecosystem."

"I'll do it," Tay agreed, still looking at the floor, "Only because I don't want to see another monster introduced to the world."

"In that case," Violet sighed with relief, "It's good to have you on board. I will have my boss give you a call later tonight and set up the details."


	5. Chapter 4

Violet and Chase waited out on a beachside picnic table while they waited for their pilot to procure an aircraft to fly them and their guides out to Isla Sorna.

"How exactly did you convince Grady to come along on this trip," Violet asked, "After what he experienced on Nublar I am a little surprised that he would want to go for round two."

"I didn't really do a whole lot of convincing," Chase answered, "He jumped on it almost as soon as I explained the situation. Apparently InGen was doing some hardcore work into trying to weaponize the dinosaurs and Owen wouldn't have it. His main reason for coming along seems to have more to do with not allowing that to happen again."

"Noble of him," Violet concluded, raising an eyebrow to the gesture.

"According to his résumé, this guy was also in the navy. He might actually be of some use to us besides just keeping us out of the mouths of super predators," Chase added.

Both Violet and Chase looked at their personal pilot with an insistent stare that inquired about his luck finding a plane for them.

"Well?" Chase asked.

"The good news is that I got us a plane," He said, holding up a small packet of stapled papers and a brown, rusty looking key," I didn't even know they made plane that had a key driven ignition."

"You make it sound like there's bad news, Crash," Violet said.

"Not really _bad_ news; it looks ancient. I might be able to keep it in the air."

" _Might_?" Chase was not a particular fan of flying anywhere but when it came to aircraft that may not be safe, he was always the first to speak up.

"Do you realize how difficult it is for a pilot to rent their own personal plane for a day, or week?" Crash asked, "Let alone in a foreign country."

"Why couldn't Price get us a plane back home to take down here?" Chase asked, his voice raised.

"Why are you asking me? I don't question the man, I just do what I'm told and collect my paycheck."

"I hate to break up the small talk gentlemen, but it seems our friends have arrived," Violet interrupted as she saw four people walking toward them. Two people she immediately recognized as Owen Grady, based on the picture of him that she saw; and Tay Masterson, who she had a—wonderful—first encounter with. Well, maybe 'wonderful' was overselling it a little, even if it was sarcasm. The other two people, however, a man and a woman she did not know.

"I don't remember having four people on our list," Crash mumbled, leaning over for Chase to hear him better.

"Hello Agent," Tay said to Violet, "And I'm assuming you must be Chase," she continued, looking at the only one besides Violet in full combat apparel. He reached out and shook her hand. "You know that Kevlar vest won't do much good when you're being eaten, right?"

"I thought you weren't going to show up, Billy," Chase said, addressing the man that Violet was unfamiliar with.

"Yeah, well… I figured if you didn't convince Malcolm to come then I would be the only one on this buffet line that's actually been to that island."

"Yeah, keep your hands off the raptor eggs this time, eh," Owen said, "I hear that's how you almost got yourself killed last time."

"I'm glad I'm not the only person that thought that," Tay said. She didn't direct it at anyone in particular, but she said it clearly enough for everyone to stare back and forth between her and Billy when she did.

"And who are you?" Violet said to the remaining woman who had yet to be introduced to anyone.

"Claire Dearing," The woman answered, "I was the asset management director for Jurassic World."

"And you are here because?" Violet continued in her inquiry.

"Because I couldn't convince her not to come along," Owen answered for her.

"Because as a key member of Jurassic World's staff, I believe it is my duty to familiarize myself with all of InGen's assets including those on the infamous Site B," Claire replied.

"Okay, first of all…NO," Violet started, "Second, what part of Covert Op did you not fully understand, Mr. Grady? For God's sake, you were in the military, were you not?"

Owen only gave her a puzzled stare. He was clearly unsure of what to do but not oblivious enough to know that she should not have been there, "I tried to keep her out of this but the only way I could get her to shut up about it was to take her along."

"Oh really. And how did she find out about this assignment in the first place? I wonder…"

"I really don't see that we have anything more to talk about here," Claire continued insistently, "I think we need to get going."

"Oh, we do have more shit to talk about here, sister," Violet snapped back, "Starting with go home, you're not coming."

"Excuse me… it is my job to make sure that—"

"You don't have a job here, Claire Dearing," Violet was starting to get more heated about the matter than she wanted to as she shot a few quick glances at Crash and Chase as if she was hoping to get some back up support. It was clear that the red in her face was not from being in the Costa Rican sun all day. "There is not Jurassic World, there is not asset management director and there is no more InGen. You have no law enforcement or military service record, no knowledge about what we are going to encounter on this trip, and clearly someone as intent as you are on joining us must have no idea what kind of terrain and conditions to expect on a tropical island when they show up here, unannounced and uninvited, in a business suit and heels."

"I'm sorry," Claire apologized very insincerely, "It's a little late for me to just catch a flight home at this point."

"Fine," Chase stepped in to allow Violet to catch her breath after her lengthy rant, "If you really feel the need to tag along then do so, but there are some ground rules to lay down first." Claire looked at him attentively but certainly not enthused, "As long as you are on that island, Violet and I are in charge. We have our mission to carry out and you will not interfere; and won't speak for anyone else, but sure as hell won't try to save you if you do something stupid. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Claire replied.

"Can I add something," Tay asked, raising her hand slightly.

"Please do," Chase nodded.

"Predators tend to pick off the slowest, weakest target first," She said, speaking directly to Claire, "If by chance we all end up running for our lives, and we will be running for our lives at least once, best to make sure you're not in last place."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Chase agreed.

"If I might interject here," Crash said, "We kinda have a rust bucket plane that probably doesn't fly very fast; so if you want to get to Isla Sorna sometime before nightfall then it might be a good time to leave now."

The slightly larger than expected group of people all rallied their things they were taking along and proceeded down a narrow dirt path that led away from the beach and over to a small, unpaved airstrip were a single plane was waiting next to a hangar and a control tower that was more like a small shed than a tower. The plane was an old seaplane that ran on a single engine that looked like it had not been serviced in years and the seams of the sheet metal on the outside of the fuselage and wings were noticeably rusty even from a distance. Owen raised an eyebrow at the rusted mess while Billy laughed a little on the inside. Violet and Chase looked at Crash and then back at each other exchanging concerned glances.

"We're going to die before we get there aren't we?" Violet sighed.


	6. Chapter 5

"So what exactly is the plan once we get there?" Violet asked Chase, "It's not like we'll just be able to land on a runway if there even is one."

"According to Crash, after we circle the island we will likely anchor the plane offshore and take the raft to the beach and set up camp."

"Are you crazy?" Tay said from the seat next to him, "We would be sitting ducks setting up camp on an open beach like that."

"Yeah, but the animals most likely to eat us mainly reside in the interior of the island," Billy said, remembering how the dinosaurs organized their ecosystem from his last visit there, "Camping in the in the forest would make us more likely to be stalked as prey."

"Yeah, but the jungle has trees and rocks…" Tay continued, "Natural defenses, especially for something as small as us."

"May I remind you that our ultimate goal is not to have to spend the night," Violet said, "We only want to get in, find out what is going on there, and get out. Whatever needs to be dealt with will be dealt with at a different time."

"Yeah, but didn't you say that two planes went missing and two boats capsized?" Tay asked, "What do we do if we end up stranded there? We didn't exactly bring any food along."

"If any of us are going to die on that island it probably won't be from starving to death," Owen hinted.

"You're just a bundle of optimism aren't you," Tay said.

"At least we know they never made any genetic hybrids down there." Owen confirmed.

"Do you two know each other?" Violet asked. She had been sensing a strange chemistry between them since they all met up in Costa Rica and throughout the flight, both had been frequently playing off each other's thoughts about the island and its inhabitants.

"We've crossed paths a few times when I was observing the Indominous Rex for my dissertation," Tay answered, "I occasionally helped out with the raptors, but my primary job was to determine when and if the I. Rex would be ready for public display."

"I guess we know how that turned out," Owen said.

"Hey, I told Claire that the animal was not ready for public display and she insisted that since I was only a grad student she would rather have a second opinion from you, who apparently had no idea that thing even existed."

"Why are you blaming this on me?" Claire butted in, "I told you that we had a schedule to keep to…"

"Masrani hired me to give you an honest evaluation of that animal, not to tell you what you wanted to hear, and now all my research on that animal is useless to both InGen and me."

"Shut up!" Crash yelled back to them from the pilot seat, "We're almost there. Keep a lookout for anything suspicious."

Upon first noticing the ever growing speck of land in the sea, everyone on the plane immediately shuffled around to look at what was on the surface of the beautiful green island. At first, the only thing they could see was the steep mountain peaks overlooking a thick, grey mist below. A few individual trees could be seen sticking up into the atmosphere above, but for the most part the forest looked like a field of green specks and blotches, almost like a pixelated computer screen. After clearing the mountains, the mist lifted and revealed a wide open valley where countless numbers of herbivorous dinosaurs were grazing and intermingling peacefully with each other. There was a herd of stegosaurs feasting on the grass and small shrubs near a smaller group of triceratops. Sprinkled throughout the gatherings of plated, horned and armored dinosaurs were a few rogue ornithopods and towering above them all were the great brachiosaurs.

"My god, they're beautiful," Violet thought out loud.

"You think that now…" Owen mumbled and both Tay and Billy cracked a smile.

"Hey Chase," Crash yelled up from the cockpit, "Get up here for a sec."

"Oh boy," Chase rolled his eyes. He got up from his seat and stepped forward to the cockpit until a sudden jolt of turbulence caused him to fall to his knees just after he knocked his head on the ceiling of the cramped aircraft. "How about you warn me first if you're goint to his a speed bump," Chase scolded as he continued rubbing his head and seating himself in the copilot seat, "What do you need?"

"It looks like there's a facility of sorts up ahead, I thought you might be able to see it better from up here," Crash informed him.

"Yeah, it looks like there is something going on down there too." Chase noticed several vehicles on the surface that looked much newer and more intact than anything that had been left behind in the 90s, but he still couldn't make out any people down there, "What's that flashing there?" he asked, looking at one of the old blinking instruments on the rusty dashboard.

"That is telling me that there is a rogue radar signal that, according to our knowledge, should not be there." Crash explained. He meant to continue looking in to what was disrupting the plane's instruments but got caught off guard and became very concerned by a small but bright red light on the surface, "This might be an oddball question, Chase," he started, "But…is that a missile launcher down there?"

"What?" Chase said. His voice suggested more confusion than worry, "That can't be. Why would they need a missile launcher anyway?"

"They said there was a radio transmission from a Costa Rican plane that suggested they were shot down, right?"

"Yeah, but…there's no way." Chase suddenly noticed a bunch more commotion down at the facility when they circled back than when they first flew over.

"No way, huh?"

"That's some Hollywood action movie shit right there, no one would haul a missile launcher to a deserted island just to shoot down potential flybys." Chase said, trying hard to deny what he was seeing. He leaned closer to the windscreen to continue watching the small red light and noticed Crash grab the microphone for the cabin radio.

Crash prepared his best, most professional captain's voice and pressed the button on the microphone, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking," he started, "at this time I am going to have to ask you to please fasten your safety belts and make sure your seatbacks and tray tables are in their full, upright and locked position because some shit is about to go down."

"Crash, what is going on up there?" Violet yelled.

"Nothing to worry about Violet, just enjoy the rest of your flight on Isla Sorna Airlines," Crash yelled back.

"Not funny!"

No one on the plane but those in the cockpit saw exactly what was going on that ended in Crash putting the aircraft into a nosedive. For nearly three seconds, everyone in the cabin felt the rush of temporary weightlessness even as they were fastened to their seats. The plane made a sharp left turn after leveling out and the feeling of weightlessness immediately became a sensation of feeling more than the standard force of gravity. The plane took another sharp turn to cover itself behind the face of one of the many steep mountains and got dangerously close to the side of the cliff, Violet was sure she saw the wings brushing up against some of the foliage in the process. The plane passed the mountainside where it was hidden from the setting sun and headed back out in the direction of the open water.

"Well I guess that answers the question of exactly what happened to the other aircraft that ended up out here," Chase said. Crash just let out a quick laugh of relief and decided to stick with landing the plane near the beach so they could investigate what was going on more closely.

"What the hell was that back there?" Violet asked as Chase exited the cockpit.

"That was called heavy artillery," Chase said, "More specifically, a surface-to-air missile." He turned his attention from Violet to everyone onboard the aircraft, "Three of you guys worked for InGen in the past," he announced, "Would any of you happen to have any ideas of anyone associated with InGen that might not want any witnesses to their work?"

"Henry Wu seemed to be a pretty secretive guy," Tay suggested.

"How so?" Chase asked.

"For starters, he doesn't like to disclose the exact genetic makeup of the animals he creates," Owen said.

"I don't think it's him," Claire added, "He was a…secretive man, but I don't think he would be desperate enough to shoot down planes to keep that secret."

"He would if he didn't want anyone to know that he was reviving Site B," Owen said.

"Then who would he be working with?" Violet asked, "If InGen is disbanded then anyone remaining to continue the work wouldn't have the funds to hire their own private army."

"A private army?" Billy said with some confusion.

"They had one in the 90's," Tay said, "Remember the San Diego incident?"

"That wasn't a private army, it was a cheap safari crew hired to capture the dinosaurs," Chase said, "There was no one on that team with any military experience at all, hence why most of them were killed."

"And you think this is different?" Tay asked.

"After what I just saw; yes," Chase confirmed.

"I got a good look at some of that equipment too," Owen added, "They have some genuine military grade hardware down there."

"Woah!" everyone heard Crash shout from the cockpit. The entire plane shook violently for several seconds before a falling sensation was felt by all the passengers. Violet and Chase both ran to the front of the plane to see the commotion and hunched over to fit inside the cramped cockpit.

"What's wrong now?" Chase asked.

"That!" Crash pointed at a large pterosaur that was flying alongside the plane, "That's not the only one, another one flew right into my flightpath before I could avoid it. The engine won't hold up much longer now." A second pterosaur flew by on the other side and hooked its feet around the one of the landing skids beneath the body and twisted and flailed its wings around to try to move it.

"They're trying to drive us into the ground," Chase noticed.

"How is that even possible?" Violet asked.

"It will be even more possible now," Crash said, "I'm losing the engine completely."

"Can you get rid of them?" Violet shouted, growing far more concerned for everyone's safety.

"Not without killing everyone!"

"Then hit the deck," Chase said.

"What?"

"Land us. At least we'll have somewhere to go."

"No we won't," Crash protested, "We're over open water and we have no radio. We can't swim that far."

"Then aim us back toward the island," Violet said.

"Hell no," Crash protested again, "That's where these things came from." A third pteranodon approached the plane now. It went unseen by those aboard but its presence was certainly felt when latched on to the rear of the plane and began attacking its man-made brethren as well.

"It's either the ocean or the island, Crash," Chase yelled, "Where would you rather be stranded?"

Through the thrashing of the pterosaur wings and the constant change in orientation from the attacking animals, Crash fought for control over the aircraft and aimed it back toward the island where all those onboard were hoping he could keep the plane flying, or gliding, long enough land on or near the island. Violet quickly ran halfway to the back of the plane and crawled the rest of the way when the violent motions of the aircraft forced her down to the floor. She propped herself up on the black crate in the back of the cabin and pulled a large caliber handgun from one of the compartments.

"What the hell are you doing?" Owen asked.

"I'm going to try shooting these bastards off this plane so that we have a chance," She said as she travelled back to the cabin door and forced it open.

"There's no way that gun will be big enough," Owen said.

"Trust me, I'm a good shot, it will be just fine."

The cabin door opened and a rush of air immediately forced everyone's body up against the nearest solid surface. Violet braced herself against the doorframe, trying to maintain her balance, and began shooting at the pterosaurs to the best of her ability from her current position. One of the animals immediately aborted its attack and flew away from the plane after releasing it from its talons. Violet managed to get several good shots as the second one in both the chest and the eyes and it fell lifeless down to the ocean below. She struggled to even get a good eye on the one in the back of the plane but a sudden roll of the plane and a jolt downward sent Violet freefalling and the plane nosediving to the water. The final pterosaur released itself from the aircraft before impact and the entire plane fell submerged in the deep blue water for almost ten seconds before the two pontoons brought the plane back to the surface.

A trail of smoke could be traced in the ever darkening sky all the way down to where the plane finally made contact with the water and setting sun came to rest behind the mountains of the island that was still so far away. If anyone remained alive after the crash, it would be a long swim back to dry land; and with night fast approaching, there was not telling how dangerous the water would be or what would be waiting for them on the beach if they made it there.


End file.
